On the heels of a hot start for the Galaxy S4, which the company says sold 10 million units in less than a month, the Korean gadget-maker seems to be homing in on the rival iPhone with a handset that promises to be easier to grip than its bulkier cousins in the Galaxy line.

CNN: Samsung to make a mini version of its Galaxy S4

So Hwang, 74, spent a month in the Philippines, where a Korean cook prepared kimchi daily for him.

CNN: Journey's End

President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye emphasized a united front when they met in Washington this month.

WSJ: Trip to Pyongyang Irks Tokyo's Allies

Prosecutors in South Korea say North Korean hackers were behind an attack that paralysed a leading bank last month.

BBC: North Korea 'behind South Korean bank cyber hack'

Manufacturing in China showed a contraction for the second month in a row, Japanese industrial companies have become more pessimistic on their prospects and South Korean exports have fallen.

BBC: Asian Development Bank cuts growth forecast for Asia